The Financial Stability Oversight Council was set up as part of the Dodd-Frank Act to identify risks and respond to emerging threats to financial stability. Its 10-member board comprises the federal government's most senior financial policymakers, including the secretary of the Treasury, chairmen of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, Securities and Exchange Commission and the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Its heavyweight membership aside, FSOC faces the daunting task of spotting threats before they cause a financial crisis  a mission that policymakers have failed at numerous times in the past. American Banker editors discuss whether FSOC will be any more successful or instead create "regulatory hazard" in the form of a false sense of security.

Expect banks to pull back on energy lending in the near term, as regulators step up their scrutiny of oil loans and bankers approach the business with a "different attitude," says Mariner Kemper, chairman and chief executive at UMB Financial in Kansas City, Mo.

The post-election rise in stock prices has been a boon for investors, but it is also causing notable changes for financial institutions. Here are a number of ways that the rally can help  and hurt  the banking industry.

It's the time of year to give thanks, and for bankers some things to be grateful for include rising stock prices, a brightening M&A outlook and, most notably, the potential for regulatory relief under President-elect Donald Trump. Here is a list of developments the industry might be celebrating this Thanksgiving holiday.

Bankers are anxiously waiting to see who President-elect Donald Trump will pick as the next Treasury secretary. Several prominent names have been floated for the job, though with every passing day, a new possible choice seems to pop up. Following is a look at the current crop of candidates and their chances.

Mobile phones are only going to become a bigger part of how banks interact with their customers, so several institutions are looking to enhance that experience. They are focusing on better ways of opening accounts, verifying identities, interacting with customers and offering new services and features. Here are some of the improvements announced this year.

This year federal and state regulators have started to pay closer attention to the rapidly evolving online-lending sector  particularly online small-business lending. What follows is a look at eight key players in the debate over how to regulate this emerging industry.